If you play Free Fire on PC using an emulator, you must have noticed that your Battle Royale ranked lobbies often end up with only 20–32 players. But on the other hand, you might have seen big YouTubers streaming with 42 to 50 players in their lobbies.
So, why exactly does this happen? And how can you also get into a full 50-player lobby? Let’s break it down step by step in simple language.
Why Do Emulator Lobbies Have Only 20–32 Players?
The biggest reason is the Matchmaking Pool System.
- Whenever a player runs Free Fire on an emulator (PC), the game matches them mostly with other emulator/PC players only.
- On the Indian server, the number of emulator players is very low compared to mobile players.
- As a result, the lobbies do not get filled quickly.
- Especially in solo and duo modes, matchmaking becomes difficult and you usually end up with just 20–32 players instead of 50.
For this reason, since 2022, Garena has restricted emulator players on the Indian server so that they don’t get matched against mobile users, keeping the system fair.
Why Do YouTubers Get Full 50-Player Lobbies?
You might be thinking, if normal players get only 20–32 players, then how do popular YouTubers always show full 50-player lobbies?
There are two main reasons behind this:
1. Bypass IDs for Big YouTubers
- Popular YouTubers like Ungraduate Gamer, NRZ etc. often have special bypass IDs given by Garena.
- This means their matchmaking is prioritized, and their lobbies get filled with 50 real players very quickly.
- Garena does this intentionally so that their gameplay content looks exciting and their audience enjoys watching streams.
2. Bangladesh or Other Servers
- Smaller YouTubers or normal players who want full lobbies often play on the Bangladesh server instead of the Indian server.
- There, the number of emulator players is much higher, so lobbies easily get filled up with 50 players.
- On the Indian server, emulator users are fewer, causing smaller lobbies.
Why Doesn’t Matchmaking Work in Solo/Duo?
On the Indian server:
- In solo and duo modes, emulator matchmaking almost never works properly.
- Either the match is not found at all, or you get into a 20-player lobby only.
- If you want a full 50-player lobby, your only practical option is to play in Squad mode.
How to Get a Full 50-Player Lobby? (Solution)
If you also want to enjoy proper 50-player lobbies, here are two working methods:
1. Play in Squad Mode
- If you play with a squad that has a mix of mobile and emulator players, matchmaking works faster.
- This increases the chances of getting a full lobby.
2. Create an Account on the Bangladesh Server
Since Bangladesh has a large base of PC players, you can get true 50-player lobbies there.
Steps:
- Clear your Free Fire app data.
- Connect with a Bangladesh VPN.
- Use a new email ID to create a fresh Free Fire account.
- Your account will now be based on the Bangladesh server.
Matchmaking there will take around 40–60 seconds, but you will get a real full lobby of 50 players (no bots).
Important Notes
- To play on the Bangladesh server, you’ll need to use a VPN every time you log in.
- Indian server emulator matchmaking in solo or duo is almost impossible, so don’t expect full lobbies there.
- The only two ways for emulator players to get 50 players are:
- Play Squad mode
- Use the Bangladesh VPN method
Final Words
Now you finally know why emulator players in India usually get only 20–32 player lobbies, while YouTubers or players on other servers get full 50-player matches.
If you also want to enjoy real 50-player lobbies, you must either:
- Play in Squad mode with mixed players OR
- Create a new ID on the Bangladesh server and connect via VPN.
Hopefully, this clears up all your doubts about Free Fire Emulator matchmaking!
